The present invention relates to manufacturing, and more particularly, to a system and method for unclogging screens in a manufacturing process.
Many manufacturing processes employ systems that utilize volatile chemicals. The use of volatile chemicals further requires the use of flame arrestor screens across exhaust and or drain areas in order to prevent a flash-over. In certain cases, both exhaust and drain areas are located below the flame arrestor. In many processes, the volatile chemicals are utilized as a solvent to dissolve soluble materials. In semiconductor manufacturing for example, flammable solvents are utilized to dissolve polymeric materials. Over time, the dissolved polymeric materials accumulate on the flame arrestor clogging both the drain and the exhaust area. Clogged screens directly affect process conditions which may ultimately have a negative impact on product quality.
Present methods for unclogging the flame arrestor include a “brute force” method in which copious amounts of solvent are passed through the system. While effective, solvent itself is costly. Also, given the nature of the chemicals in the solvent, disposal of the solvent can also be quite costly, often times costing more than the solvent itself. As such, the brute force method not only includes a high initial cost associated with the large amounts of solvent required, but also incurs a large post cleaning/disposal cost. In addition, the brute force method can be time consuming requiring a substantial system down time. Alternatively, or in addition if the brute force method is not efficacious, the system is disassembled and the screen is physically removed for cleaning. Once removed, the screen is flushed with solvents to dislodge any trapped material. Removing the screen from the process results in substantial production down time as well as introduces a potential for improper screen replacement and/or physical damage.